The Aratere’s wharf in Picton is due to be demolished later this year as part of the new ferry project and as it requires specific loading and unloading infrastructure, it cannot use the other Interislander wharf in Picton while port upgrades happen there and in Wellington.
Interislander executive general manager Duncan Roy said the ferry’s retirement was a significant milestone in the company’s transition to a modernised fleet.
“This is the start of our preparation for the new ships, and while it will have some impact on capacity on Cook Strait until they arrive, we will make it as smooth as possible for our passengers and freight customers. No booking changes are required for freight customers or passengers as a new two-ship timetable is already in place.
“The capacity of the two new ferries will be larger than our current fleet of three ships, so while this change is challenging, it’s a necessary step towards a more efficient and sustainable future.”
To support rail freight operations, Interislander would use road-bridging, where rail freight was moved by trailer onto its vessels, and reconnected to trains at the other end.
“Significant preparation has already gone into super-charging this operation - including bringing in new equipment, recruiting and training new staff and fine-tuning our rail freight handling processes,” Roy said.
“Our transition timetable optimises the additional time needed for road bridging to ensure all rail freight will be serviced at the levels our rail freight customers need and expect. This has already been factored into current bookings.”
Roy said the business was still considering options for the sale of the Aratere after retirement, and the vessel would be laid up at its Wellington berth while it worked with a shipbroker.
A private farewell event for the Aratere crew would be held early next month.
-RNZ
